Improvement in machines for making latches for knitting-machine needles



. B. G. STEVENS. Machine for Making Latches for Knitting MachineNeedles.

Patented Oct. 28, 1879.

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BENJAMIN G. STEVENS, OF FRANKLIN, HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGrNOR T0 JAOKMAN &FLANDERS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN MACHINES FOR MAKING LATCHES FOR KNITTING-MACHINE NEEDLESI Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22!,003, datedOctober 28, 1879 application filed July 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN O. SrEvENs, of Franklin, in the county ofMerrimack and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and ImprovedMachine for Making Latches or Tongues for Knitting-Machine Needles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate like parts, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved machine. Fig. 2is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section onlineacy, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of a portion of the machine.Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch as manufactured by themachine.

a is the feeder, provided with the spring a, under which is placed thewire 8, which is fed into the machine. The feeder a slides back andforth in the stationary grooved block b, and has reciprocating motionimparted to it by means of the lever a, hinged at c, and connected bythe rod or with the feeder.

A spring, 0, secured to the block 0, holds the wheel 0' against thecam-wheel d, which is fixed to the shaft 0, which shaft is connected bythe gear 0 c" to the driving-shaft f. By means of the cam-wheel d thevarious forward and backward motions desired are imparted to the feeder.

d is a flange, against which an adjusting or regulating screw, 61,secured to the lever c, presses. This screw, of course, regulates thelength of the vibration of the lever 0 when it reaches that point on thecam. A bent rod, a, extending from the feeder a, regulates its stroke,as will be seen below.

9 is a sliding block, held against the cam h upon the shaft 0 by meansof the extension h and spring g, extending to the standard g. This blocksupports the plungers 1 2 3 and their corresponding dies 4c 5 6, as wellas stops it, which regulate the length of the stroke of the feeder bymeans. of the bent rod a. The block 9 can he removed to the side of themachine, if desired, in order to adjust the dies orv stops. The plungers1 2 3, which are held in raised positions by suitable springs m, areforced down singly upon theirrespective dies by the lever l, pivoted atl, and operated by the eccentric 1 upon the shaft f.

lever l, and flattens the'wire at s.

n is the punch, which forms the spoon s in the latch. It is supported bythe carriage or,

which slides in the block 0, and is actuated by the cam or upon theshaft 0. The punch is thus forced against its die 12, which is supportedby the block 19, and is sprung back, when released by the actuatingmechanism, by means of the spring 11.

t is the wire-cutter sliding in the block 0, and operated by the camtupon the shaft 6. The cutter slides by a projection, a, provided withan openingthrough which the wirepasses. A suitable spring retracts thewire-cutter when it is released by the actuating mechanism.

The machine having been put in operation, the wires is placed under thespring ain the feeder a, (said feeder being then at its farthest pointfrom the machine,) and the wire having been placed so as to extendthrough the hole in the projection 20, it is carried forward by thefeeder a (whiclris operated by the cam 61 through the lever 0) beyondthe spoon-punch a, and into the position shown in Fig. 4. The punch abeing actuated by the cam n moves up to the wire, and by forcing itagainst the die makes the spoon s. The feeder recedes and the wire,being still griped by the punch 11., remains stationary, and the springa slips back over the wire. t The plunger 1 and die at are brought bythe sliding block actuated by the cam h, so as to be on a line with thewire, and the feeder then moves the wire under plunger 1, which isforced down upon the die {1 by the The feeder and wire then recede, andthe plunger 2 and die 5 move into line with the wire, which thenadvances, and the hole 8' is made by the plunger 2, which, having movedunder the lever l, is forced down thereby. The feeder and wire againrecede, the plunger and die 3 6 move into position, the feeder and wireadvance, and the wire is out oif at the rounded end 8'. Thefeeder andwire recede, and the cutter t, actuated by the cam t, advances and cutsoff the wire, leaving it as shown in Fig. 5. The block g now slides backto its original position, and the operation is repeated. The latch isthen perfectly formed, excepting that it may need shortening. The onlytime that the wire is held so as to allow the feeder to slip back overthe wireis when the feeder recedes for the first time. Every subsequentmotion is controlled by the feeder.

The length of the latch is regulated by the screw (1 upon the lever cand the flange d. The length of the stroke of the feeder is determinedby the bent rod a and adjustable stops 7c 7r 7..

The flange d may be placed either inside or outside the rim of the cam61, as desired.

The principal features of my improved machine are the separate plungersand corresponding dies in the sliding block g, each plunger doing itspeculiar work, and being distinct from each other plunger, thereciproeating feeder having no lateral motion, but simply moving backandforth, so that instead of the wire moving laterally and following theplungers, the plnngers and dies move up to the wire and the flange d onthe cam (Z for regulating the length of the latches.

I am aware that Letters Patent were granted to W. Aiken for a machinefor making knitting-machine needle latches, November 12, 1867, and ofcourse claim nothing shown in that patent.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for making latches for knitting-machine needles, thecombination of the lever l and eccentric l, the independent plungers 1 23, corresponding dies 4 5 6, the sliding block 9, extension h, spring g,and cam h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the feeder a and spring a, projection u, providedwith an opening for the passage of the wire, spoon-punch a, cam a, die1), cutter t, cam t, and the sliding block g, having the punches l 2 3and dies 4 5 6, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

3. In combination, with the lever a, provided with the screw d, the rodor link a, the feeder, and the cam (I, provided with the flange d,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

BENJAMIN C. STEVENS.

Witnesses DANIEL BARNARD, W. E. ROGERS.

